The invention relates to the field of technology and hardware for earthmoving operations predominantly in replacement of the insulation coating of ducts, performed at the design elevations of ducts in the trench, predominantly without interrupting the operation of the insulation coating replacement, and more particularly to the methods and devices for padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil, equipment for soil compacting below a duct and soil compacting mechanisms. Furthermore, the invention can find an application in earth-moving operations in construction of new underground ducts.
The advantages of such a technology of replacement of the insulation coating on operating ducts in the trench became obvious long ago to the experts who began making certain efforts for its introduction into practice. Known is the technology of replacement of the insulation coating, in which the duct is held above the trench bottom by stationary supports [S. A. Teylor. xe2x80x9cMechanising the operations on replacement of the insulation coating of operating ducts in the trenchxe2x80x9d // Neftxe2x80x2, gaz i neftekhimia za rubezohm, 1992, #10, p. 75-83]. In this case padding the ground below a duct is performed by regular earth-moving and construction machinery, due to the use of the above supports. However, the regular construction machinery does not provide a satisfactory solution for the problem of padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil, even when the above supports are applied. It is preferable to replace the insulation coating of the duct during continuous displacement of the entire system of the appropriate equipment without making use of the above supports. This requires more from the technology and equipment for padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil (feeding excavated soil from the dump, its deposition into the trench and compacting below the duct), which requirements cannot be met by the used in practice technology for performing the above-mentioned operations or the construction machinery, or by the other technologies and appropriate hardware which are not used in practice but are known from the state-of-the-art. In this case, the technology of padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil should envisage, and the appropriate device should be capable of, performing its function during its continuous uninterrupted displacement at a velocity which is equal to the velocity of displacement of the entire system (preferably 150 to 100 m/h), and the device should apply a minimal force on the insulation coating, which excludes damage to the coating even at its low strength, as when padding the ground below a duct after a small interval of time (3 to 7 min.) after application of the insulation coating, this time not being enough for some kinds of the coating to acquire its full strength. Furthermore, the device for padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil should have minimal overall dimensions in the direction along the duct for reduction of the length of the unsupported section of the duct to such an extent, as to eliminate or minimize the use of mobile means of supporting a duct. The device should provide a rather high degree of padding the ground below a duct (characterised by a bed coefficient Ky equal to 0.5 to 1 MN/m3) in order to avoid the significant subsequent slumping of the duct and appropriate deformation loads in it. Furthermore, the device for padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil should operate in a reliable manner when displaced over the surface of soil with significant unevenness and a lateral gradient, as well as over soil with low load-carrying capacity, for instance marshland or a layer of loose excavated soil. It is exactly the absence at the present time of such a technology and means for padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil which largely prevents a broad use in practice of the technology of replacement of the insulation coating on the operating ducts in the trench without the use of supports for the duct resting against the trench bottom. Thus, the inventors were faced with a complicated and important problem unsolved in a manner required for practical application, despite the numerous attempts at solving it for many years.
Known is a method of padding the ground below a duct which includes picking-up soil, its deposition into the trench from both sides of the duct and soil compacting in the space below the duct by rammer-type soil compacting organs applying a force on the soil previously deposited in the trench, during continuous displacement over the soil surface along the duct of a vehicle carrying soil feeding and soil compacting organs. Unlike the claimed method, in the known method the travelling unit with a wider base of the vehicle, moves along both edges of the trench, over the soil surface formed during uncovering of the duct, and the soil is picked up from the trench edges (Vasilenko S. K., Bykov A. V., Musiiko V. D. xe2x80x9cTechnology and system of technical means for overhauling the line oil pipelines without lifting the pipexe2x80x9d // Truboprovodni transport nefti, 1994, #2, p. 25-27]. The vehicle displacement along both edges of the trench complicates the process of placement on and removal from the uncovered duct, possibly causing emergency situations if the vehicle falls off the trench edge and non-uniform slumping of the travelling unit of the vehicle. Furthermore, soil picking-up from the trench edges unreasonably increases the scope of earth-moving operations.
The closest known method to the claimed method is the method of padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil, which include soil picking-up from the dump, soil transportation in the direction from the dump towards the trench with the duct, soil deposition into the trench from both sides of the duct and filling at least part of the trench space with soil, during continuous displacement over the surface of the soil along the duct of a vehicle carrying the soil feeding and transport organs, and compacting the soil at least in the space below a duct by soil compacting organs applying a force on the soil during continuous displacement over the soil surface along the duct, of a vehicle carrying soil compacting organs. Unlike the claimed method, in the known method the vehicle carrying the soil feeding, transport and soil compacting organs, is displaced over the soil surface from the trench side opposite to the dump, whereas the force is applied to the soil by soil compacting organs made in the form of throwers, prior to its deposition into the trench, which accelerate the soil up to the velocity sufficient for dynamic self-compacting of the soil during its deposition into the trench [USSR Author""s Certificate 855137, IPC E02F 5/12, 1981]. Displacement of the vehicle over unprepared soil surface results in the vehicle, and the soil compacting organs together with it, rocking when passing over uneven ground, with soil particles (in particular, large-sized rocky inclusions) hitting the surface of the duct insulation coating at a high speed, and breaking it. Furthermore, even with a stable position of the vehicle, it is impossible to direct the high-speed flow of soil below a duct with such a precision as to, on the one hand, eliminate formation of a cavity under the duct, and on the other hand, prevent collision of the high speed soil particles with the insulation coating surface. This method does not permit achievement of the required degree of compacting of soil below a duct, which would provide small enough slumping of the duct, and, therefore, its small deformation loading, this being especially important in performance of this work without interruption of the duct operation. This method is difficult to implement when excavated fertile soil is located on the trench side opposite to that of the mineral soil dump location. For its implementation, this method requires an appropriate device with a long extension of soil feeding organ, this being difficult to implement in technical terms. Moreover, this process of padding ground below a duct involves higher power consumption.
The closest to the claimed device, is a device known from prior art for padding ground below a duct using excavated soil, which comprises a vehicle with the travelling unit for displacement over the soil surface, carrying the equipment for filling the trench with excavated soil, which includes the soil feeding and transport organs and a device for lifting-lowering of the soil feeding organ relative to the vehicle, and equipment for soil compacting below a duct, including a soil compacting mechanism with drive soil compacting organs and a device for hanging the soil compacting mechanism from the vehicle with the capability of forced displacement and securing relative to the vehicle in a plane which is normal to the direction of its displacement. Unlike the claimed device, in the known device the soil feeding organ is located to the side of the vehicle with a large extension relative to it, for allowing its displacement on the trench side opposite to the dump. The soil feeding and transport organs are designed as one working organ of the screw conveyor hung from the vehicle with a device for hanging the soil compacting mechanism, and the soil compacting organs are made in the form of driven soil throwers whose inlets are connected to the soil outlets of the equipment for filling the trench. Here, the soil compacting mechanism includes the drive mechanism of rocking of the soil compacting organs [USSR Author""s Certificate # 855137, IPC E02F 5/12, 1981]. The known device has all the disadvantages indicated above for the appropriate method. Furthermore, the known device is not stable enough in the transverse plane, has higher power consumption for picking-up the soil, its feeding and deposition into the trench, the screw-conveyor type working organ and the throwers are poorly adapted to operation in boggy sticky soils as a result of the soil sticking to them.
The closest known equipment to the claimed equipment is the equipment for soil compacting below a duct, incorporating a soil compacting mechanism and a device for hanging the soil compacting mechanism to a vehicle, including an integrated mechanism for forced displacement and rigid fastening of the soil compacting mechanism relative to the vehicle in the plane normal to the vehicle displacement direction [USSR Author""s Certificate 855137, IPC E02F 5/12, 1981]. Because the known device for hanging the rammer-type soil compacting mechanism lacks a disconnection mechanism for a cyclic displacement of soil compacting organs relative to the vehicle in the direction of its movement, it will be impossible to perform continuous displacement of the vehicle during the soil compacting. This is an especially significant disadvantage for a device which is designed for use as part of a complex of earth-moving machinery in replacement of the insulation coating of a duct, performed on design elevations of the duct in the trench, predominantly without the use of supports for holding it, when a continuous and coordinated displacement of all the machinery of the complex along the entire duct is required.
The closest known mechanism to the claimed mechanism is a soil compacting mechanism known from prior art, incorporating a base which carries the drive soil compacting organs each of which includes a connecting rod with a soil compacting element at its lower end, lower lever which is connected to the connecting rod by its first hinge, and to the base by the second one, and upper lever which is connected to the upper end of the connecting rod by third hinge. Unlike the claimed mechanism, in the known mechanism, the upper lever is connected to the lever vibration mechanism, whereas the working surfaces of soil compacting elements are located in the radial direction relative to third hinges [USSR Author""s Certificate #1036828, IPC E01C 19/34, E02D 3/46, 1983]. In the known mechanism, the soil compacting elements travel practically in the horizontal transverse direction with connecting rods rotation about the axes of third hinges. In this case, it is impossible to withdraw soil compacting elements from the soil for their displacement along the duct with a stable position of soil compacting mechanism relative to the duct, it is impossible to form below a duct a zone of soil compacting with slopes or provide uniform compacting of soil along the entire height of the space below a duct, especially with rather great above-mentioned height. for instance, of about 0.8 m. Operation of this mechanism is difficult or practically impossible in relatively narrow trenches. Another disadvantage of the known mechanism is its great height. complicating movement into the trench, withdrawing from the trench, and displacement of the vehicle with the soil compacting mechanism hung to it.
The main goal of the invention is to provide a method for padding the ground below a duct using excavated soil to minimize the stress applied by the soil to the surface of the insulation coating of a duct during its deposition while compacting the soil below a duct with a greater degree of soil compaction, and to eliminate damage to the insulation coating or duct by the soil compacting organs by providing a steady vehicle position through preparation of soil surface prior to vehicle displacement, and to reduce the power consumption of the deposition and soil compaction processes.
The above goal is achieved by the method for padding ground below a duct using excavated soil, including soil picking-up from the dump, soil transportation in the direction from the dump towards the trench with the duct, soil deposition into the trench from both sides of a duct to fill at least the space below a duct, and soil compacting, at least the space below a duct by applying stress to the soil by soil compacting organs during continuous displacement over the soil surface along the duct of one or two vehicles carrying the soil feeding, transport and soil compacting organs. The vehicle carrying at least the soil compacting organ can be displaced over the ground surface along a ground path formed by the soil feeding organ during soil feeding from the dump while stress is applied by soil compacting organs to the soil which has already been deposited into the trench.
Unlike the process of dynamic self-compacting of soil in its feeding under a duct at a high speed, the process of preliminary deposition of soil into the trench at a low velocity and its subsequent compacting, consumes less power, allows reduction of the stress applied by the soil to the insulation coating surface, and increases the degree of soil compacting. The probability of the duct being damaged by soil compacting organs in the claimed method is reduced by providing a stable vehicle position in its displacement over the soil surface which has been prepared by a soil feeding organ.
In particular embodiments of the invention, one vehicle is used, which is made in the form of a base frame carrying the soil feeding, transport and soil compacting organs.
Furthermore, part of soil from the dump is used to form the above ground path. In addition, in formation of the ground path, its grading in the transverse direction is performed by skewing the soil feeding organ in the plane normal to the direction of its displacement. In addition, in order to counteract an angle of skewing of the vehicle that results from non-uniform subsidence of soil under the vehicle travelling unit, the transverse gradient of the ground path is set equal in value and opposite in its direction to the angle of skewing of the vehicle relative to the surface of the ground path as a result of the non-uniform subsidence of soil under its travelling unit. Furthermore, part of the soil from the transport organ is unloaded on the ground strip located between the vehicle travelling unit and the trench. In addition, the stress is applied to the soil for its compacting in a cyclic manner, the working elements of soil compacting organs being displaced in each compacting cycle in a plane normal to the direction of the vehicle displacement, in the downward direction and towards each other, whereas between the compacting cycles the working elements are moved in the displacement direction of the vehicle. In addition, the above working elements are rotated in the above-mentioned plane in the direction so the angle they define becomes smaller. In addition, during displacement of the working elements in the displacement direction of the vehicle, they are at least partially withdrawn from the soil. Furthermore, with the design force on the working elements, their actual position is determined, which is compared with the appropriate design position, and proceeding from the comparison results, the level of filling the trench with the soil is kept the same, or increased or lowered. In addition, the trench is filled with the soil up to the level which is higher than the level required for padding ground below a duct, while the displacement of the working elements in the displacement direction of the vehicle is performed with the working elements lowered into the soil. In addition with the design force on the working elements, their actual position is determined, which is compared with their appropriate design position, and proceeding from the comparison results, the level of lifting the working elements is kept the same, or increased or lowered. In addition, compacting the soil is performed with a constant maximal force on the working elements and specific pitch of compacting. Furthermore, the specific pitch of compacting is increased when increasing the maximal force on the working elements, and vice versa. In addition, the maximal force on the working elements is increased if the vehicle carrying the soil compacting equipment is skewed in the direction towards the trench, and vice versa.
Another goal of the invention is to provide a device for padding ground below a duct using excavated soil, by making rammer-type soil compacting organs which are hung to the vehicle using a disconnection mechanism and placing the soil feeding organ at an end face of the vehicle for formation of the soil surface over which the vehicle moves, to provide a minimal stress application by the soil on the insulation coating surface during padding ground with a greater degree of soil compacting, to lower the power consumption of the ground padding process and to eliminate damaging of the insulation coating by soil compacting organs.
The above goal is achieved by the device for padding ground below a duct using excavated soil, incorporating at least one vehicle with the travelling unit for displacement over the soil surface, which carries the equipment for filling the trench with the duct by excavated soil, including soil feeding and transport organs and a device for lifting-lowering the soil feeding organ relative to the vehicle, and equipment for compacting soil below a duct, including a soil compacting mechanism with drive soil compacting organs and a device for hanging soil compacting mechanism from the vehicle with the capability of forced displacement and rigid fastening relative to it in a plane which is normal to the direction of its displacement. According to the invention the soil feeding organ is located at the end face of the travelling unit and is wider than the travelling unit, and the device for hanging the soil compacting mechanism is fitted with a disconnection mechanism for cyclic displacement of soil compacting organs relative to the vehicle in its displacement direction, the soil compacting organs being of the rammer-type and being located behind the zone of soil unloading from the transport organ in the displacement direction of the vehicle.
Unlike the throwers, the rammer-type soil compacting organs are less power-consuming and provide a greater degree of soil compaction with a smaller damaging action of the soil on the insulation coating. The disconnection mechanism ensures normal functioning of soil compacting mechanism during continuous displacement of the vehicle whose stabilizing is provided by the soil feeding organ, thus lowering the probability of the damaging action of soil compacting organs on a duct.
In particular embodiments of the invention, the equipment for filling the trench with the duct by excavated soil is fitted with a device for forced rotation of soil feeding organ relative to the vehicle in a plane which is normal to the displacement direction of the vehicle. In addition, the equipment for filling the trench with the duct with excavated soil is made with at least two outlets for the soil, whose spacing in the horizontal direction normal to the direction of displacement of the vehicle is greater than the duct diameter. In addition, the device for hanging the soil compacting mechanism from the vehicle includes connected to each other mechanisms for forced lifting-lowering, transverse displacement and rotation of soil compacting mechanism. In addition, soil feeding, transport and soil compacting organs are hung from one vehicle made in the form of a base frame.
A goal of the invention is to provide equipment for padding ground below a duct with the capability of normal functioning of rammer-type soil compacting mechanism during continuous displacement of the vehicle by fitting the equipment with a disconnection mechanism.
This goal is achieved by the equipment for padding ground below a duct, including soil compacting mechanism and a device for hanging soil compacting mechanism to the vehicle, incorporating an integrated mechanism for forced displacement and rigid fastening of soil compacting mechanism relative to the vehicle in a plane normal to the direction of its displacement. According to the invention, the device is fitted with a disconnection mechanism for cyclic displacement of soil compacting organs relative to the vehicle in its displacement direction, which incorporates a kinematic joint which is included into a sequence of kinematic elements of the above-mentioned integrated mechanism, and has a degree of mobility in a plane which is parallel to the direction of the vehicle displacement.
In particular embodiments of the invention, the above-mentioned integrated mechanism incorporates the connected to each other mechanisms for forced lifting-lowering, transverse displacement and rotation of the soil compacting mechanism. In addition, the above-mentioned kinematic joint of the disconnection mechanism is made in the form of a hinge with the axis of rotation located in a plane normal to the direction of the vehicle displacement. In addition, the above-mentioned axis of rotation is located horizontally. In addition, the disconnection mechanism is fitted with at least one elastic element connected with the rigid elements which are connected to each other by the above hinge and form a kinematic pair. In addition, the disconnection mechanism is fitted with a longitudinal feed power drive connected to rigid elements which are connected to one another by the above hinge and form a kinematic pair. In addition, the integrated mechanism is made in the form of a lifting boom which with its root is connected by means of the first hinge and lifting-lowering power drive to the support mounted on the vehicle frame, and an arm which with its first end is connected by a kinematic connection, which includes the second hinge and transverse displacement power drive, to the head part of the lifting boom, and with its second end is connected by means of third hinge and power drive of revolution to the soil compacting mechanism, the above kinematic pair of the disconnection mechanism including the boom head part and a shackle which is connected to the first end of the arm by the above-mentioned second hinge.
Another goal of the invention is to provide a soil compacting mechanism by changing the connections and relative position of its elements, to provide displacement of soil compacting elements in the vertical and horizontal directions, which is sufficient for a high degree of compacting the soil below a duct and formation of a zone of soil compacting with slopes, in order to prevent breaking up of the soil with the duct resting on it, to provide soil compacting along the entire height of the space below the duct, in narrow trenches and at a great height, to provide lifting of soil compacting elements above the soil for their longitudinal feed with a stable position of soil compacting mechanism relative to the duct; to reduce the height of soil compacting mechanism for facilitating its introduction into/withdrawal from the trench.
This goal is achieved by the soil compacting mechanism incorporating the base which carries the drive soil compacting organs, each of which includes the connecting rod with the working element at its lower end, a lower lever which is joined to the connecting rod by its first hinge and to the base by the second hinge, and an upper lever which is connected by a third hinge to the upper end of the connecting rod. The upper lever is connected by the fourth hinge to the base, the fourth hinge being shifted relative to the second hinge in the direction of the connecting rod, and/or the distance between the first and third hinges is greater than the distance between the second and fourth hinges, and/or the distance between the third and fourth hinges is greater than the distance between the first and second hinges.
In particular embodiments of the invention, the working surfaces of the working elements in their upper position arc located horizontally or are facing each other and are located at an angle of not less than 90xc2x0 to each other. In addition, the working surfaces of the working elements in their lower position define an angle which is in the range of 60 to 120xc2x0. Furthermore, the distance along the vertical between the working element of each soil compacting organ in its extreme upper and extreme lower positions is not less that half of the duct diameter, and the appropriate distance along the horizontal is not less than half of the above distance along the vertical. In addition, the base incorporates a beam and brackets which carry at least the upper and lower levers of soil compacting organs, and which are secured on the beam by detachable joints with the capability of placing them into at least two positions along the beam length. Furthermore, the power drive of each soil compacting organ is made in the form of a hydraulic cylinder hinged to the upper lever and the base. In addition, the upper levers are made as two arm and L-shaped levers, the mechanism being fitted with a synchronising tie rod hinged by its ends to second arms of upper levers.